Scowl, Nu?

Noah’s? Feh.

Review of: Noah’s Bagels

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 1

Read review on Judy’s Book.

The sign on the window declares “It’s Steam!” but really, it’s the soul of the bagel making a valiant attempt to leave the squishy sponges known as Noah’s Bagels.

The bagels here have no texture, a sponge like consistancy and taste, well, bland and airlike. Nothing like the real bagels of New York or even Katz just down the street.

There’s better alternatives, and honestly no reason to subject yourself to this imitation of a bagel.

Good for a nosh…

Review of: Katz Bagels

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

As a transplanted East Coaster, I’m very particular about my bagels because, let’s face it – most of the people west of Mamaroneck don’t know how to make a decent one.

Case in point, the donut-like sponges from Noah’s Bagels, which locals praise for their texture and range of “schmears”. A good bagel doesn’t need strawberry pesto schmear. It needs cream cheese or chive cheese and possibly a slice or two of nova lox.

Katz Bagels is probably the closest thing to a good New York style bagel shop in the FiDi/SOMA area. They have the classics: egg, plain, onion, garlic, rye, poppy and sesame to name a few – and a couple of “berry” ones that have become popular recently. The bagles themselves are pretty darned good – a little bit of elasticity in the crust and a soft yet dense dough inside. For me, a garlic bagel with chive cheese, a slice of red onion and a slice of tomato with a little bit of lox on top is a perfect way to start the day.

Noah’s? Feh. Try Katz!

A Better Alternative to NetFlix

Review of: GreenCine

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

One of the problems with living abroad is that I have become woefully out of touch when it comes to the movies that came out in the past few years. I originally used NetFlix, but the local depot was consistantly mis-shipping my discs (getting a notice in the morning that the disc was shipped, and then another in the afternoon saying it was received back), so I decided to try a local alternative.

GreenCine is a San Francisco based movie service, offering a wide selection of new releases (including television series), international, anime and even adult films (if that is your thing). Discs are shipped from San Francisco and it never takes more than a day from receiving the shipping notice until the disc arrives in my mailbox.

One of the great things about GreenCine is how well you can control the lists. I can set the system to grab the discs in order (locked), based on the first one available (unlocked) and even keep it unlocked but track a set of discs as a series so that I make sure I get a multi-disc set in order (so, it will grab the first disc available, but will make sure that my Firefly Disc 2 isn’t shipped until I’ve watched and returned Disc 1).

If you want a good local alternative, or are a classic/international movie buff, it’s a much, much better option than NetFlix

Another Night at the Bar…

Review of: Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Though my plan was to have a quick dinner at Zoya and a single drink at Absinthe before heading home, by the time I looked down at my watch, I realized it had been almost three hours and my one cocktail had turned into five.

But it’s OK… May 6 (today) is the 200th anniversary of the first published cocktail recipe, and Absinthe was celebrating the momentous occasion with four fantastic cocktails priced at $6 (Sazerac, Old Fashioned, Martini and a Brandy Crusta).

I started out with a Martinez, possibly the precursor of the Martini, this drink was based on Plymouth Gin, modified with orange bitters, an olive and vermouth. The staff mixed it perfectly, and it transported me back to the early 1930s to the heady days when men (and women) knew how to mix and drink a classic cocktail.

The Martinez was followed by an amazing Sazerac – though it was not as good as those from the actual Sazerac Bar in New Orleans, still it was a great cocktail, blending Rye Whiskey, Herbsaint (an Anisette), Peychaud Bitters, sugar and lemon. I like a little more Herbsaint in my Sazerac, but all in all, it was a fitting tribute to the great 200 year old cocktail from New Orleans.

Next was a classic martini – not a modern martini made with vodka and a whisper of vermouth, but instead a gutsy blend of Plymouth Gin and Noilly Prat white vermouth at a ratio of 3:1.

From there, I moved to a well made Plymouth Gin based Aviation (marischino liqueur and a lime twist) and an orangy Pegu Cocktail.

As classic cocktails go, the weekend team at Absinthe is hard to beat.

Promising New Restaurant

Review of: Coi

By: Janet Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

When we called Coi last month just to see if they were open yet, we found out that the first night they were open to the public was that Saturday (April 14), so we decided to go on a whim (even though first nights can sometimes be iffy).

You’d never believe that this place used to be Great Water Thai. The space has been completely transformed into an elegant dining room, with a lounge in front. The dining room itself is only 30 seats, so it’s not that large, but it’s comfortable and spacious enough that you aren’t sitting right on top of the people next to you.

That night they were only serving a four course prix fixe menu ($75), with a choice of one of three dishes (four for dessert) for each course, and the food was excellent. For an idea of the food, I started with the scallops marinated In delicate rosemary oil, which was really delicious, and then the asparagus soup with mint and blood orange scented Bellwether Farm ricotta, which was also excellent. I chose the poached and seared lamb rack for the main course, again excellent, and a surprisingly large portion as well. My dessert was a warm bittersweet chocolate tart with tamarind gelee and smoked yogurt, which was a really interesting and unique combination of tastes. They use local, organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, so every dish was fresh and full of flavor, in addition to being creative.

The chef, Daniel Patterson, personally thanked each diner for coming in. They plan to serve a nine course tasting menu along with a four course tasting menu each night, which will accommodate both real food lovers and people who want a shorter, more traditional meal.

A couple of interesting things to note: if you order sparkling water (they serve Gerolsteiner), they won’t leave the bottle on the table, but instead will personally pour it for you and always make sure that you have a full glass. Also, unlike most restaurants, the charge for sparkling water isn’t added to the bill. Nor is there a charge for the coffee (which is served in your own personal French Press). They do, however, add an automatic 18% service charge to the bill, which I have mixed feelings about. It says that they strive to give excellent service, but what about the times when they don’t? As the night went on and people started to leave, the staff did get a little distracted and were a little less attentive than they were in the beginning of the meal, but I’m chalking that up to the fact that it was their first night. All in all, an excellent dinner.

Top-Notch Seafood

Review of: Bar Crudo

By: Janet Glasser

Rating: 5

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Seafood lovers take note! Bar Crudo is a great alternative to going out for sushi. It’s a small place, with raw bar seating downstairs and some candlelit tables in the loft space upstairs. The seafood is fresh and wonderfully prepared — the crudo is good, the crab is really good, and the chowder is really, really good. They also have a really tasty cheese plate, which I loved. Service is ultra-friendly, but dishes do take some time to arrive at your table (all dishes are made to order), so if you’re in a rush this may not be the place for you. If you’re with friends, though, and want to enjoy some really great wine and conversation while waiting, it’s the perfect place. They also offer a substantial list of Belgian beers on the menu, a welcome surprise for beer lovers. All in all, a great place to unwind from a busy day/week with good food and drink.